This invention relates to a lid locking and unlocking mechanism for containers, principally household containers for liquids, as, for example, an electric water heating appliance for making tea or instant coffee. In the case of a household device for heating liquids, or for holding hot liquids, it is generally advisable to provide a lid which can be secured in place to minimize the risk of inadvertent spills. Most conventional containers utilize a screw top, a snap top, or a friction fit top. It is also advisable to construct the container so that when the lid is unsecured on the container that fact is obvious at even a casual glance. Most conventional containers do not provide any such visual indicia of unsecured status. In the case of screw-top containers, for example, the secured and unsecured positions of the lid may differ only in rotational position on the container. Snap top and friction fit tops tend to be even more ambiguous as to status. What has been needed, but not provided by the prior art, is a container having a lid which can be selectively rotated to a secured position and to a visually distinct unsecured position.